Ukorebi Esien | August 11, 2026
CALABAR – The National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Cross River State chapter, has urged non-indigenous youths resident in the state to take ownership of Cross River and contribute to its peace, security and development.
Chairman of the council, Comrade Emmanuel Olayi, made the call during a strategic engagement with youth leaders of non-indigenous groups as part of activities marking the 2026 International Youth Day.
Olayi said anyone who lived, worked or conducted business in Cross River had a responsibility to protect the state and contribute to its development, irrespective of his or her state of origin.
He urged non-indigenous youths to see themselves as stakeholders in Cross River and use their positions within their respective communities to promote peace, discourage criminality and protect public infrastructure.
The NYCN chairman said the engagement was particularly important because Cross River remained a cosmopolitan state where people from different parts of the country lived and conducted businesses.
According to him, youth leaders have an important responsibility to communicate the right messages to their members and ensure that young people do not become involved in gangs, violence or vandalism.
He said, “by virtue of the fact that you reside in Cross River, as a young person who has owned Cross River, by virtue of the fact that you do your business in Cross River as a young person who has owned Cross River, it means that you must talk about Cross River in the right light. You must protect Cross River.”
Olayi said the council had deliberately engaged leaders of non-indigenous youth groups because the development of Cross River could not be left to indigenes alone.
He urged the groups to encourage their members to obey the law, reject criminal networks and protect the state's infrastructure.
The council chairman's position comes amid wider debates on the place of non-indigenes in accessing economic and government opportunities in states across the country.
He said the issue should not be reduced to the state of origin of an individual, stressing that young people who live and contribute to the economy of Cross River should also develop a sense of responsibility towards the state.
Olayi called for stronger collaboration between indigenous and non-indigenous youths, saying peaceful coexistence was essential to the economic development of the state.
He said youth leaders could play a major role in preventing crime by communicating with young people within their communities and discouraging them from joining gangs or participating in acts capable of destabilising the state.
He added that the NYCN would continue to engage different youth groups across Cross River in its effort to build a united youth constituency capable of contributing to the development of the state.
The engagement formed part of activities organised by the NYCN Cross River State chapter to mark the 2026 International Youth Day.
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